Go! Productions LLCLeft to right, Wonder Mike, Master Gee, Hendog and DJ Dynasty are the original members of the group formerly known as the Sugarhill Gang.

If there’s a unifying theme to the Garden State Film Festival’s slate this year, it might be identity.

In the salty new documentary “I Want My Name Back,” two original members of the Sugarhill Gang say they lost ownership of their music, their group name and their stage names to the Englewood-based label Sugar Hill Records.

Michael Wright and Guy O’Brien, the emcees behind hip-hop’s first hit record, “Rapper’s Delight,” in 1979, fought for decades and, after a court settlement in 2010, only their stage names — Wonder Mike and Master Gee, respectively — were returned to them, says the film’s director Roger Paradiso.

“There was a sudden rise and a just-as-quick drop to the bottom and a long, slow climb back,” Paradiso says.

“I Want My Name Back” is nominated for best feature-length documentary at the 10th annual edition of the festival, which starts Thursday and will screen nearly 200 films across six venues in Asbury Park, as well as one in Deal.

The awards-eligible movies start March 23 with the indie drama “Shuffle,” about a man who experiences his life out of sequence. Singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier is set to perform March 25 after a screening of “Before You Leave,” exploring her search for the truth of her adoption.

Festival co-founder and actor Robert Pastorelli died in 2004, but his memory lives on through a clip reel, a free showing of the 1996 John Travolta-starring dramedy “Michael” (which featured Pastorelli) and Pastorelli’s namesake Rising Star Award. This year, the award goes to actor Adam Mucci, who plays the bigoted Deputy Halloran on HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.” Working to prove himself as a character actor, Mucci says he approaches roles as Pastorelli did, taking risks.

At 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds, the Rutgers University alumnus and owner of Mucci’s Italian Market in Saddle Brook prefers to play toadies or cowards in supporting roles in films or on TV.

“That is not how the average person wants to be portrayed, but if done properly, it gets the point across,” says Mucci, 38, of Saddle Brook. “I’m not afraid to play an idiot.”

The Spirit of New Jersey Award will be presented to Wright and O’Brien, who re-branded themselves Rapper’s Delight Featuring Wonder Mike and Master Gee. After the screening, they are set to perform at the Paramount Theatre with Vinnie Brown of Naughty By Nature, among others.

The film alleges that an impostor band went around performing as them, at venues including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

“You’ve got to be careful of identity theft and be aware that there are predators out there,” Paradiso says. “We have major issues with piracy today. The cautionary tale is you must be aware of these issues.”

When: Thursday through March 25. “I Want My Name Back” is at the Paramount Theatre, March 24 at 9 p.m. ($15 for both the film and the post-show concert). “Shuffle” is at the Paramount Theatre, March 23 at 8:30 p.m.; “Before You Leave” at Synaxis, March 25 at 4 p.m. Actor Ed Asner will receive the lifetime achievement award at the awards dinner on March 25.